It’s Christmas! Yippeeeee???

My friends, in the blog entitled, “Taking Inspiration from Hosea Part I” published here on October 25, 2009, the idea was raised that we as a Christian people are following traditions of men at the expense of sound, life-giving Biblical doctrine.

I also wrote that in future messages I would address the traditions that make up the most obvious of our errors. I asked that you, dear reader, would be ready to seriously consider those errors when I presented them. I posed the question, would you know from your own reading and study of the Bible whether what I would share with you would be true or false?

Following the Hosea blog, I was led to address Halloween and it’s satanic roots, and as today marks December 25, 2009 we will appropriately address a tradition found in Christianity that is perhaps even more diabolical than Halloween, primarily because it is shrouded in seemingly Christian religiosity.

It’s Christmas!

Let’s look to a scripture passage in Jeremiah that points out that one of the main traditions practiced during the Christmas season is actually pagan in origin:

“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen…For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not…” (Jeremiah 10:2…6).

Many of you dear Christian brothers and sisters reading this blog have brought a tree into your house, decorated it with silver and gold (among other things), and are supposedly honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

If December 25^th (today) is really His birthday I suppose there could be cause to celebrate it, even though Jesus and the rest of scripture never tells us to do so, but why the tree? What does the tree have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? (Not to mention pagan beliefs in Santa Claus, flying reindeer, etc., that we need not even mention in this blog.)

Well, the tree has nothing to do with Jesus and is nothing short of a pagan practice that has been around since long before the days of Jeremiah. It has been said that the use of a tree in pagan worship arose from ancient Babylon where a story was told of an evergreen rising out of a dead tree stump which supposedly symbolized the reincarnated Nimrod who is mentioned in Genesis 10 (Babylon Mystery Religion (BMR), Ralph Woodrow, pg. 144 [who cited Curiosities of Popular Customs, William Walsh, pg. 242]).

So the use of trees in pagan worship has long been in play.

But let’s digress from the tree issue for a moment and ask another question that further illustrates why Christmas is not Biblical: does the Bible even tell us the date of Jesus’ birth so that we can know when to celebrate it?

The answer is no. Neither the Gospels nor the rest of scripture shed light on the exact date Jesus was born. But the Bible does give us plenty of information that makes it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that December 25^th cannot possibly be the date.

First, the shepherds of Israel weren’t in the habit of going out at night with their sheep to graze after the fall harvest (BMR, pg 141, who cited Clark’s commentary, Vol. 5, pg 370).

Secondly, and perhaps more telling, the Romans surely would not have called for a taxation (Luke 2:1) during late December as that week comprises the shortest days of the year and is also when the weather is colder and less suitable for travel. Too many people needed to return to their hometowns for this event, as did Joseph and Mary, to make that time of year a practical choice.

In addition to these two points that negate a winter birth, there are other Biblical clues that can more positively lead us to a possible season surrounding Jesus’ birth.

Luke shares in his Gospel that Jesus began his ministry at about the age of thirty (Luke 3:23). Since we know with certainty that He died/resurrected in the spring at the time of the Passover we can then calculate from the length of his ministry the approximate season of the year in which He was born.

For those who believe His ministry lasted three years this means He would have also been born at about the time of the Passover. Still others believe that His ministry lasted three and a half years and if this were the case He would have been born around the time of the fall Feasts.

In either view, whether his ministry lasted three or three and a half years, Jesus was definitely not born in December. No Biblical scholarly work that I'm aware of has ever said otherwise. If you know of any (outside the confines of Catholic teachings), feel free to send it to me.

But just how did the honoring of Jesus’ birth in December come about?

Ralph Woodrow wrote a book called Babylon Mystery Religion (which I have already sited twice) in which he argued in chapter 20 (pgs. 141-147) that the December 25^th date was taken as Jesus’ birth because the Church at Rome (which became the Catholic Church) wanted to convert to Christ those who observed the pagan winter solstice festivals in which they worshipped their sun god (Sol). Woodrow postulated that the pagans were celebrating (with great drunkenness and debauchery) the fact that the shortest day of the year had passed and that the days would begin to get longer, which for them meant that the strengthening sun would begin to show itself for longer periods each day and that spring would soon return which in turn would allow them to plant crops that could grow and and prosper.

According to BMR, the Church at Rome sought to gain converts from paganism by causing them to honor Christ’s birth instead of the sun-god on this day, December 25^th. But here’s the problem with trying to Christianize something pagan: God just doesn’t do that. He is the Creator, not the counterfeiter. Satan counterfeits, and God is not going to sully His own name by taking a demonically inspired practice and trying to Christianize it. Our God is so awesomely creative He has no need whatsoever to do that.

The Jeremiah 10 scripture sited above confirms God’s hatred for all things pagan when He says, “…Learn not the way of the heathen” (Jeremiah 10:2).

Mr. Woodrow has since recanted the view that the December 25^th date arose out of paganism (http://www.ralphwoodrow.org/articles/Xmas-Easter-Cross-Mar-07.pdf), saying that there is little historical evidence of such winter solstice observances in Rome during the early history of what became the Catholic Church, but even if his new belief is true we still have clear Biblical evidence of the pagan nature of bringing trees to decorate into our homes as a part of worship as it is described nearly to perfection in the Jeremiah 10 passage sited above.

It is crystal clear that the “heathen” (pagan worshippers) brought trees into their homes and decorated them with silver and gold and that this was an act of idolatry that God specifically commands us “not to learn.” I know most Christians aren't consciously worshipping their trees, but they are certainly using them as a prop for the worship of Christ, a prop that God has forbidden in Jeremiah 10.

As for the choosing of the December 25^th date, does it really matter how it was chosen if the date is most certainly NOT true?

Though many still believe they are honoring Christ on Christmas day, they are in fact practicing pagan traditions as if doing so is God approved. This ought not to be done.

(Side note: have you ever wondered why most unbelievers have no problem celebrating Christmas?! Think about it. It’s because Christmas is not truly Christian nor is about Christ. If it were, they would surely detest it.)

Let’s make clear that all Christians who think they are honoring Jesus Christ on this day by saying Christmas is His birthday and singing His praises, in spite of their good intentions, are not honoring the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. They are honoring A LIE, the lie that Jesus was born on December 25^th.

This is no different than when Israel made the golden calf in the desert. When they did so Aaron actually proclaimed the celebration of this new god as a “…feast to the Lord” (Exodus 32:5). They were going off into idolatry and yet still proclaiming it was for God. Did you hear that, Saints? That is exactly what you are doing if you honor Christmas. It is no different.

Let us now return to the matter of lies. I’d like for all of us to quickly recall where lies originate. As I write I am reminded of this scripture,

“When he (the devil) speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).

So if you are honoring this day as the birth of Christ, which again, is a lie, you are honoring the devil.

I know, I know, you’re really upset with me now because you are “for sure and for certain” you are worshipping and honoring Jesus, but let me tell you something, Jesus is “…the way, the TRUTH, and the life…” (John 14:6) and there is no lie in Him. He would not have you honor something that is NOT TRUE. But Satan, who is the father of lies, would love for you to do so. Anyone saying Jesus was born today is doing just that, retelling a lie straight from the devil and therefore honoring him, that is, honoring the devil.

I know, I know, my blog is ruining your fun and you never want to speak to me again. That’s ok, I still love you and pray for your eternal salvation. But seriously, in this regard, if after you receive information that you’re practicing a demonically pagan religious tradition and don’t attempt to find out more about the issue so that you can do something about it, then I don’t really care what you think about me. I’m not going to try to make you happy about doing something I believe is leading you to hell just so you’ll be pals with me. (Did I just say you could go to hell for celebrating Christmas? I’ll address that later, bear with me a little longer.)

Some of you might be wondering, “What if I were to stop celebrating Christmas like Doug, what would my friends think? What would everyone at my Church think? Do I really have to be so vehemently against this day?”

I guess those are the questions that every Christian must answer for him/herself. If you look to the Bible you’ll find that scriptural passages abound showing the uniqueness of the way the people of God live as opposed to that of the world, and even as opposed to that of other (more or less) lukewarm Believers.

As I write, I am reminded of the words of Peter, “…ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light…” (1 Peter 2:9).

This scripture clearly illustrates that we are supposed to be different than others, this is how the light of God shines through us. Do you know what is one of the major points of separation between a true Believer and an unbeliever that actually makes the two different? The Believers desire for truth, to put this “…truth in the inward parts…” (Psalm 51:6). If we are supposed to make the truth that important, how is it that we would speak or follow any untruth such as Christmas?

Jesus underscored the importance of truth when he explained to Pilate that He was indeed a King and that “…for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).

How on earth can we be of the truth when we embrace a known falsehood such as Christmas? It makes no sense I tell you. If you are following after Christmas, how is that you’re hearing the entirely true voice of Jesus Christ when the day itself is an absolute untruth?

Let us now continue to think about what it means to be peculiar and among a small number of people participating or not participating in something in order to please the Lord. Consider with me Noah who built the ark that only eight people would be deemed righteous enough to board (Genesis 6-7).

Or what of Lot when he left Sodom (Genesis 19)? His sons-in-law both thought he was “…as one that mocked…” (Genesis 19:14) when he begged them to leave with him before God’s judgment would fall on the city, but his daughter’s husbands refused to follow.

In both cases only these two men and their immediate families escaped judgment. As mentioned above, only eight people (of how many thousands?) escaped the flood during the time of Noah and only four people walked out of Sodom, and even one of them died (Lot’s wife) as she disobeyed and looked back, turning to a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).

How many other cases can be found where only a few people were doing right while everyone else was doing wrong?

Consider during Elijah’s time how there were only seven thousand people in Israel, a nation of hundreds of thousands, who had not bowed the knee to Baal (pagan god) (1 Kings 19:18). Consider also how Elijah stood alone as the prophet of God as he stood up to the 400 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).

For a New Testament perspective on being in the minority in doing right, let’s consider also that Jesus said that “…many be called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16).

With that scripture in mind I can’t help but think that we had better make it a habit of following God’s Word and not follow after the crowd if we expect eternal life.

Following the crowd almost always means following those headed for destruction. This is why Jesus warned, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

I warn each and every reader of this blog that there are consequences for our actions. If you are indeed following the crowd through the wide gate by celebrating the Christmas lie, you are destined to reap a whirlwind if you don’t repent. It’s time to find the narrow way to life that only a few will find. Will you count yourself among the few? The answer to that question depends entirely on your willingness to obey God’s Word for your life.

Let’s move on now to another argument one might hear for honoring Christmas: “But what of the children? What are we going to do for them if they can’t open presents from under the tree? I just want to make them happy and see their happy faces.”

My questions for those folk include: Since when are we supposed to let children run us – the adults? What kind of wisdom has a child amassed in his (or her) few years on earth that we are going to let him cause us to celebrate either Satanic Halloween (so they can get a bag full of teeth-rotting, health destroying candy) or the Satanically-inspired Christmas lie (so they can get some presents and eat yet more health destroying food)? Can’t you rot their teeth out and get them toys any other day of the year? Why do you have to do it on pagan/satanic/demonic “holidays”?

I mean, c’mon people. Think about what those of you who “do it for the kids” are saying. You are justifying paganism to please ignorant, self-willed kids who haven’t been taught the truth. Do you see how you are leading them astray? Do you see how you are leading them straight to hell? (I’m not even addressing those of you who tell your kids there’s a Santa Claus who is “all knowing,” making lists and bringing your children presents. If that isn’t a replacement god, what is? How demonic is that? How hurt should God be, your Provider, that you give the credit to a demon called Santa? And yet some of you Christians even do that. That is a travesty.)

I know, I know, you’re scoffing at “over-the-top Doug”as you read, but God has had it with this phony, “honor Him with your lips but your heart is far from Him” chicanery. He can no longer “wink his eye” at this sort of thing and as was mentioned in the prior Hosea blog, judgment is now beginning with us, with the house of God.

I feel that many of us are about to be "taken out to the wood shed" and severely chastened for this sort of thing and to be shaken of our foolishness (and yet many will still not repent, many will still deny that the negative spiritual and/or natural consequences in their lives have anything to do with Christmas).

But yet I still ask this question, why make your life so hard just for a silly man/demon-made tradition? (Not to mention, why on earth go into debt for something so anti-truth, so anti-Christ?)

For those Christmas celebrators who now have knowledge that it’s all based on a lie (many of you have known for quite some time but have done nothing about it) and yet continue to defiantly honor this pagan day as if it really does have something to do with Jesus Christ, if you begin to find that in the next few days and weeks to follow that you’ve become miserable and in dire straights spiritually as well as in the natural (how much debt did you use to buy all your gifts?), I wonder how many of you will chalk it up to the false god you honored today? May those who do so learn their lesson and repent of this wicked selfishness that does not care one lick how God really feels.

I would be lying if I said that as I write I don’t feel the anger and hurt of the Lord rising up in me. The spiritual malaise that Christmas honoring Christians are exhibiting means they are in a terrible state of spiritual callousness, numbness, and selfishness.

I am telling each reader that no Christian really (I mean REALLY) knows God if he thinks Christmas is about Jesus in any sense, and especially, if after reading this blog, he continues to think so. It’s one thing to have honored Christmas in the past out of ignorance, but once you have knowledge of an issue and still continue doing so without even researching to see what’s up, why then that’s a sure sign of a hard heart against the Lord.

God wants us to know Him far more intimately than we can imagine. But none of us can get to that point if we ignore His Word and continue sinning against Him.

I want to repeat this most sincerely: those of you who still think celebrating Christmas is o.k. actually have no idea who God is nor how much you are hurting Him with your paganism. One could say the reason you don’t know Him is because you are not reading the Bible in its entirety and spending daily time with Him in prayer, but only God and you can know exactly why.

God forbid that any of us should ever honor Christmas again, but I forewarn all who read this, if after reading this blog you continue in this paganism you can be sure that your heart will only harden further and that God will have a continuously more difficult time trying to reach you. Go too much further than this and it will be too late. You’ll be one of those who take the mark when the anti-Christ comes because of your callousness, blindness, and pride.

Let me say it again, if you are celebrating Christmas today and have no problem with doing so, you are in big trouble spiritually. Seek the Lord and ask Him for the truth. Ask Him if Doug’s right about this.Say, “Lord, if Doug is right I’m willing to change.” Even tell Him how crazy you think I am, but still ask.

Then ask Him to search your heart and find out what else is in there that He doesn’t approve of. (Please don’t think I think I’m exempt from soul-searching myself…it’s time for all of us to get it right in every sense.) Repent for and renounce Christmas as well as anything else in your life contrary to God and His Word.

I beg you.

Your eternal salvation is at stake.

Some of you laugh at that statement, thinking Christmas is not a salvation issue, but read this scripture with me:

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone…” (Revelation 21:7-8).

Did you see that, idolaters and liars will be found in the lake of fire for eternity!

Believe me when I say that today, Christmas day, is a day of idolatry, of lying, of worship of a false “christ” lyingly said to have been born on December 25th who doesn’t even exist except in the form of a demon. Christmas is a celebration of a false “jesus” who cannot and will not get you eternal salvation. May you discern this and repent before it’s too late. My prayers for you will be that you do.

In the meantime, if you don’t hate me after this blog, shoot me an email sometime and let me know how you’re doing!

Signed, your brother in the true and living Lord Jesus Christ, not the false demonic spirit of Christmas masquerading as Jesus.

Doug

Halloween

Hi all. I know I wrote that my next blog will be Part II of "Taking Inspiration From Hosea," and I am working on it, but I feel pressed in my spirit to speak out about the major demonic activities that are occurring today, and indeed have been ramping up over the course of the last few days until this day known as "Halloween."

This "holiday" (or "helliday" as I like to think of it) is a time of great evil as witches, warlocks, occultists, and covens around the world see it as a great and notable day of celebration and the indoctrination of many unwitting victims into their occultic/Satanic activities.

On this day, people around the world, and indeed many Christians, some out of ignorance and others out of a stubborn holding on to worldly frivolity, fully embrace the occult, witchcraft and Satanism as they "trick or treat," carve out pumpkins, wear costumes that glorify sin and death, and use the day in general to glorify fear, death, blood drinking, murder, demonism, witchcraft, the paranormal, sexual sin, and the list goes on and on.

If you're a praying Christian who reads your Bible then you know what I'm talking about because you must be experiencing and/or discerning the spiritual trouble in the "atmosphere" throughout the last few days as well as and especially today.

Many of you are probably under attack as the demonic hordes are out in full force taking advantage of the open doors given to them by people participating in Halloween as well as trying to fulfill the curses that many witches and warlocks place on people, including and especially on Christians.

While the “curse causeless” cannot come upon you (Proverbs 26:2), God is allowing you to discern the darkness in order that you might fight back through spiritual warfare.

I hope you're doing so as we all need to be, including myself. It's easy to get lazy, but let's commit ourselves to battle during the time that God is giving us this discernment and the experiencing of Halloween's spiritual darkness.

All we have to do is open our mouths in prayer and spiritual warfare as we let God’s Word speak through us. God may not require you to fight very long, just start out in battle and you will know by His Spirit when He has released you. God knows what you can handle and He's not going to put a burden on you that you can't bear. Just relish the privilege that He is making you aware of what is going on and is using you as His battle-axe against evil.

But back to the topic of Halloween, many people who think they are harmlessly participating in this “holiday” by decorating their homes, dressing up, etc., have no idea that they are unwittingly inviting demons to further entrench themselves into their lives. It is a terribly sick and repulsive day for anyone who loves God and recognizes that demons are being allowed so much access to so many people.

I want to caution any and all readers against participating in Halloween on any level.

When I say "any level" I also include the parties and activities held by Christian Churches that are supposed to pull people away from honoring the Satanic aspects of Halloween to some more harmless fun.

This seems like a good motive, but how is it a proper response for us to hold festivals/parties when the only thing we should be focused on when we gather on the day the world calls Halloween is prayer and spiritual warfare against the demon spirits who are so active? How is it that we would allow ourselves to be distracted from the battle at hand by a celebration, even one that is supposed to be an "anti-Halloween" party? (Church, we are indeed asleep at the wheel. Is it any wonder we are in so much trouble?)

There are many issues on such a day that require prayer and spiritual warfare: we need to be holding up our brothers and sisters in Christ who think it is o.k. to celebrate such a demonic day, and we also need to fight against the plans, strategies, and tactics of the enemy who is using Halloween as a major offensive in their attempts to rob, kill and destroy us and everything for which we stand.

For us, this is a day of battle, not of frivolity, even if that frivolity is in the Church under a different auspice than that of Halloween. This is especially true since that frivolity takes our eyes off of the very pressing need for us to put our spiritual armor on and go into battle.

Will you take up the fight tonight, or will you go to Church and drink punch out of a plastic party cup? Will you mourn the sin that is going on in the world and in the Church, sin which pains our Lord to watch, or will you lift that plastic cup of punch in cheers with your friends?

It’s time we realized that this day is not a day of celebration for any Christian, but one of mourning of the sins of the world as well as the Church, and also a day of battle.

I hope you’ll join in by spending at least some time in prayer and spiritual warfare this afternoon or tonight. May God’s blessing be upon you as you do so, in Jesus’ mighty name. A-men.

Taking Inspiration from Hosea

I read the Book of Hosea last week and as I did I couldn’t help but feel the words God gave him for Israel are very similar to that which should be spoken to the Church in the United States today.

The Hebrew people were in a lot of trouble with God during Hosea’s time due to their failure to honor Him and His Word, and much of this short fourteen chapter book was spent telling them of the behaviors God had taken issue with and how He would bring judgment upon them for their sins, and that after doing so, He would also bring restoration if they would only seek Him.

It seems to me that we here in the U.S. are in the same condition as the Hebrew people of Hosea’s day.

When I say “we,” I of course could be speaking of the U.S. as a whole: the sins our nation commits and exports on a daily basis have piled up to the heavens, what with all the abortions, pornography, adulteries, fornications, whoredoms, immodesty, pride, vanity, lying, deceit, hatred, violence, murders, greed, thefts, covetousness, cursing, witchcraft, etc. and etc.

One could go on and on.

Yes, our nation is in a great deal of trouble, no doubt about that.

But for the purposes of this blog when I say “we,” I mean we the people of the Church of Jesus Christ. We are the ones who are in trouble first.

Why? Because 1 Peter 4:17 tells, 

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

In light of this scripture it's easy to wonder how can God judge the world for sin if He doesn’t first judge us, especially when the same sins that the world freely partakes of are also practiced with little hindrance in the Church.

In addition to the worldly sins as listed above in which the Church finds itself entrenched (and perhaps more foundationally problematic), false doctrines and the “traditions of men” are more honored in the Church than the Word of God, which means we aren’t standing on the solid rock of the Word, but on the shifting, wind-blown sands of the teachings of man.

The latter error – following traditions of men – is a huge impetus for the former – practicing worldly sins – for if we were teaching, preaching, receiving and living the correct doctrine straight from the living Word of God we would be far better equipped to resist worldly iniquity.

Yes, the U.S. Church is in trouble, big time.

Also, because we have been blessed with the entirety of God’s Word with little interference from those in secular power, we as a consequence are held to a higher standard, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…” [Luke 12:48).

But even with that higher standard the Church isn’t even attaining to the bar of superficial morality set by the secular culture of the United States during the 1940’s and 50’s. The Church’s present day immodesty alone proves that we as a people have dropped below that level long ago.

No, we the members of the Church of Jesus Christ in the good ol’ USA are not a holy people.

I don’t think I’m saying anything surprising or new. Each person reading this blog knows of his own personal issues and can readily see that many of us in what calls itself the Church these days are not truly fighting sin as if our lives depend on it, and as a consequence we are not attaining to the holiness portrayed by the Biblical fathers of our faith.

To purify oneself means adopting a lifestyle which is obedient to God and His Word while learning to detest and cease the practice of sin. Why? Because sin is the opposite of obedience. Sin is denial of and opposition to God’s commands, commands that were given so we could know how to properly behave in order that we may love Him and others.

Again, we as a people are not living out consistently obedient lives to the Lord and as a consequence are walking out lives of sin. I should rephrase this statement a bit because when I say “we” I am speaking in general terms catching the sum of all Christians in the U.S. in one net, but some of us are indeed living holy, obedient lives, though those of us who are totally committed to doing so amount to very few. And those very few obedient ones who may read this blog are surely only nodding in agreement and don’t mind that I’m using the more global “we” in the description of the Church’s behavior.

But returning to the matter at hand, as mentioned before, our doctrinal errors are at the root of much of the Church’s problems with sin. For example, a large majority of the Church does not practice or teach deliverance, and thus only a tiny percentage of the members of the Body are actually casting out the demons attempting to lead them into sin. Those of us not doing so are consequently unable to win our battles against iniquity because we are not picking up the weapons God has given to enable us to do so.

Demons also know that when they can persuade us to accept and embrace just one type of sin then we will all the more easily fall into other types, even in areas in which we had little trouble before.

There are lots of spiritual sayings to describe this phenomenon:

“A little bit of leaven leavens the whole lump.”

“Sin begets more sin.”

“Sin takes you farther than you want to go, makes you stay longer than you want to stay, and makes you do things that, in the end, you don’t want to do.”

Jesus put it another way,

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first..." (Matthew 12:43-45).

One could envision from Jesus’ description that a demon’s invitation to you to sin is as if you’re having a dinner party and a there’s a knock at the door. You look through the peephole to discover an uninvited, unwanted guest who is very dangerous. But instead of telling him he is unwanted and commanding him to leave you instead crack the door to hear a little better what he has to say. As you begin to hear his plan you (seemingly unknowingly) open the door a little wider and all of sudden he’s standing over the threshold and blocking you from closing the door. You let him in further and with incredible speed, seven more of his friends are also pushing through. Your dinner party is now crashed and ruined, as these intruders aren’t so friendly once they’re inside and can now create absolute havoc.

When sin and demons get in the door and fully invade, they know then that they can blind us to our sin. They “poke our eyes out” as it were in the same way the Philistines poked out Samson’s (Judges 16:21) and this blindness helps us to embrace sin even further.

The backsliding Christian in this state will not only accept and justify his own sins but will see others who refrain from and speak out against sin as legalist fuddy-duddies at best and the enemies of God at worst.

Remember, the religious leaders and zealots of Jesus’ day were those who desired to kill Him most! And what did Jesus call them?

“…blind leaders of the blind…” (Matthew 15:14).

What were they blinded by? 1) Their false doctrines and traditions of men, and 2) the resulting sin.

The only way to break free of this type of blinding sin is for the person to surrender his life to God and ask God to reveal the sins he can’t see.

The sinner needs to say as David did,

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139:23-24).

Without continually making this simple request throughout one’s Christian walk, even those of us who have accepted Jesus as Savior will most likely continue in the stubborn pursuit of sin, all the while remaining blind to our own sinful condition.

This is the main issue in the Church, an absolute blindness to the nature of sin and its hold on us as a corporate body.

We as the Church in the USA do not spend enough time sincerely asking God to search us, and oftentimes when we do we are not really looking for a reply from the Lord, as deep down we don’t really want to change. This is obvious because the answers He responds with are often ignored or seen as “not from Him” as what the Lord requires always calls for a letting go of the world and of sin, and many of us don’t want to do that. The process can appear to be painful and sacrificial and many of us aren’t willing to undergo this perceived discomfort and loss.

This is especially true in the U.S. Church when it comes to traditions of men. When God asks us to let go of them because they are against His Word we cannot grasp how or why these traditions could be sins against Him. We also imagine that if we were to stop those traditions, then we would be seen as peculiar by the rest of the Church and too many of us are way too worried about what others think, and having such an attitude, we are even less willing to consider God’s voice may be leading us out of some of these long-held yet anti-biblical traditions. We close our eyes and ears to the simple Word of God and continue to our hold on man-created doctrines that allow us to continue our traditions.

This happens because many of us have failed miserably as individuals to read our Bibles enough to know what God actually expects. This is the main reason that when He does respond to our asking Him to search us, we are not ready for His response. We don’t know His Word and therefore don’t know His voice or even when it is Him who is speaking to us. As a result we make no effort to change, even as the Pharisees and Sadducees made no effort when God sent His Word to them through John the Baptist and then His Son Jesus Christ.

It’s this not knowing the Word of God that enables so many of us to continue in sins of ignorance, which feeds right into a word that God gave to Hosea,

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee…” (Hosea 4:6).

According to this scripture, in God’s economy there is no “I didn’t know, I was ignorant” escape clause. This should especially be so here in the U.S. where, as stated before, we have enjoyed unlimited and unhindered access to the Word of God for so many years.

And yet we (and again, I’m not talking about the world here but the Church), we, the ones who should be reading our Bibles and ARE NOT, consequently don’t realize the depths of sin that we’ve waded into.

Wait.

Not waded.

Wading implies that we’re in shallow waters, but indeed many of us have swum into and have remained in the depths of sin, deep down in the dark, filthy, murky waters of iniquity.

Our lives are so out of order that we as a people are participating in manifold sins on a daily basis. Many of us seem to be doing very little to exhibit self-control in the desires and leadings of the flesh.

In addition to the doctrinal errors, all the sins of divorce, porn use, adultery, abortion, alcoholism, etc. so readily apparent in the secular world can also be found in large measures within the Church.

I’m not just talking to you dear reader. I am under attack as well. We all have areas of weakness demons want to exploit.

The question is are we fighting against these sins? A large majority of us aren’t fighting hard enough.

I personally feel I need to show more vigilance. Actually, in certain areas I know for certain that I need to fight with more determination. Demons would love for all of us to consider certain behaviors that God forbids as acceptable and will do everything in their power to soften us in those areas.

What about you? Are there areas in your life that need to be looked at more closely so that you can gain the victory? Or, do you believe the false gospel that it is a matter of fact that you can’t stop sinning so why try to fix something that can’t be repaired?

Many other questions remain:

Are we as the people of God determining to hate the sins that God hates even though our flesh can thoroughly take pleasure in those sins?

Are we fighting the demons who tempt us by daily taking up our crosses and following after the Lord (Matthew 16:24), that is, are we dying to our fleshly selves in order that we might live above sin and walk in the Spirit, which is life?

Are we reading our Bibles daily to learn the ways of God so that we may identify the sins in our lives that are offending Him, both doctrinal sins and those of the flesh?

In my next blog I will more directly address many of the Church traditions that do not line up with the Word, but may I ask you a couple questions in advance of your reading it?

When these traditions/practices are presented as unbiblical will you be able to discern by the Word of God if what I say about them is true? That is to say, have you read the Bible enough to know if what I present is Biblical, or will you just go by some gut feeling?

Therein lies the rub. If you don’t know the Word of God for yourself, how do you know if what anyone tells you from the Word is actually true or a just a twisting of the Word?

I encourage you, dear reader, to spend time reading your Bible each and every day. Tackle three chapters a day and you can read the entirety of scripture in a year. Why not start with the Book of Hosea?

Also, read it out loud because “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). It’s time you got the Word deep down in you so you will not be blown about by every false wind of doctrine that comes your way.

In the meantime, ask God to help you look within for whatever sins may bind you and pray to Him to help you get free. Ask Him to uncover not only the worldly sins that are easier to identify in your life, but the traditions of men you may be following that may be leading you astray as well.

It’s time for us to clean up our acts as members of the Body of Christ in the U.S., and indeed the entire Church worldwide needs to do so, but let us begin with our individual selves.

Let us judge ourselves now, so that we may avoid the judgment of God. Let us make ourselves right without Him having to move His hand to force us to do so. His hand is already moving. Can you see it? Be a leader in changing yourself for Him and others, when God’s judgment comes with greater intensity will see your efforts and want to do the same.

God bless you and look for further messages that address the Church’s traditions that are hamstringing us in our pursuit of a Holy God.

It seems like many of us have either given up this fight against sin, or, because of false teachings, never took up the fight to begin with.

A great part of the blame for our laxness falls upon the sugary sweet “gospel of grace” embraced by most American Churches that has allowed many of us to erringly believe we can go on living in sin without eternal consequences because according to this false gospel we are all “sinners” and will never be able to stop sinning.

The hushed implication is, “Why should we even try to stop sinning if it’s impossible to do so?” If this gospel is true that we can and will never discontinue our iniquity, and that this is not really a problem because the blood of Jesus covers all of these sins, why then we have nothing to worry about. We can just go on sinning.

But from the scriptures we learn that the blood of Jesus does cover our REPENTED sins, but sins we stubbornly continue to practice and hold onto, the ones that we do not repent of, are they still covered?

Think about that question as we address the matter further.

When sin is allowed a foothold and is not repented of, that means that it has become accepted, and once accepted, the next logical step is to embrace it.

Those of us who get as far as embracing sin, that is, we have decided to allow it full reign in our lives without standing up to it, are in big trouble. It is of little consequence if we’ve said the sinner’s prayer and believe we have salvation if we continue in sin.

Let me tell you why.

No, better that Jesus should tell you Himself, He said,

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).

So we see from this scripture that God does indeed require a standard of holiness, and there are at least two measures as listed in this passage that determine if we meet that standard. They are:

Do we do the will of the Father?

Do we practice iniquity (sin)?

We can readily see that Jesus’ standard of holiness is much higher than the standard that has been set by today’s “we will always be sinners” American Church. How is it then that Jesus says one thing with regard to His expectations, and yet we preach, teach and believe another?

While most of the Church is right in the sense that no one can be saved without believing in Jesus’ sacrifice and shedding of blood, it is not enough merely to believe that Jesus did this.

According to the epistle of James that most of the Church believes is part of the Canon, when it comes to believing in one God “…the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).

Just believing that Jesus suffered on the cross for our sins, died, was buried and resurrected alone does not gain us eternal salvation, even though it is the most critical first step.

But the fruit of this eternal salvation blossoms when this belief in Jesus’ work here on earth and subsequent resurrection actually draws us unto holiness.

John tells us the following with regard to those who seek an eternity with the Lord,

“…every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure (1 John 3:3).